The Grand Residence

2024-07-31

The Grand Residence

A moment later, the booklet was indeed as he had expected, containing a detailed record of the Azure Water Silkworm Rearing Method.

Its many detailed descriptions were all drawn from experience and would be quite useful for raising Azure Water Silkworms.

After Song Changming finished reading, he closed the booklet. As for this Azure Water Silkworm Rearing Method, he had two choices before him.

He could either find a wealthy buyer and sell the booklet for a high price.

Or he could follow the methods within and try his hand at this silkworm-rearing venture himself.

From what he knew, although there were people raising Azure Water Silkworms around Donglai Commandery City, there were not many of them, and their output was quite limited.

These things were extremely delicate. The slightest mishandling could leave one with neither money nor silkworms, so few people were willing to try.

He guessed that the Qinghe Gang had most likely obtained this rearing method from someone from out of town.

Silkworm farming was not popular in Donglai Commandery City. Locals were unlikely to have developed such a detailed and exclusive rearing method.

After some thought, Song Changming decided to give it a try. If it did not work out, it would not be too late to sell the exclusive method.

Having made up his mind, he set the booklet aside and turned to the remaining items: a light inner armor and a heart-protecting mirror.

Neither piece of equipment was particularly high quality. He had taken a liking to them simply because he could use them.

Having an extra inner armor and heart-protecting mirror for protection would make him somewhat safer when fighting others.

"After today, there will be no more Qinghe Gang."

Lying on the bed, Song Changming reviewed the several battles he had fought during the latter half of the night as he gradually drifted into a deep sleep.

At daybreak the next day, news of the Qinghe Gang's destruction quickly spread through the Houli Street area.

Some sighed at the disappearance of yet another major gang, but even more people celebrated with joy.

The Qinghe Gang had relied heavily on oppressing local residents to grow large and powerful and reap profits.

Too many people had long wished for those thugs and hooligans to die. To them, this was unquestionably wonderful news.

Soon afterward, the rumors split into two versions.

Some said the Nine Bends Society had overthrown the Qinghe Gang, while others claimed the authorities had launched an operation to wipe them out.

As for the actual truth, only a small number of people in the city district knew.

On Houli Street, in San Hutong, Song Changming and Lu Gang walked deeper inside.

"If you wanted to find a place to live on Houli Street, why didn't you say so earlier? I wouldn't say I know every inch of this place, but recommending a few decent spots would've been easy." Lu Gang strode along with a smile.

"I just didn't want to trouble you." Song Changming had not expected Lu Gang to care so much about his affairs.

He had only mentioned it once, yet Lu Gang had brought him to look at houses while on patrol, completely unconcerned about the consequences of leaving his post without permission.

In fact, there would be no consequences.

After all, this was merely a routine street patrol, not some important mission that required his full attention.

"This is the place." Upon arriving, Lu Gang pointed at the residence before them.

Song Changming looked over. It was a large single-courtyard residence.

The gates stood open, revealing a courtyard paved with stone slabs and already covered in fallen leaves. It seemed not to have been maintained for a long time.

"Let's take a look inside." Lu Gang led Song Changming over the threshold and into the courtyard.

"This place originally belonged to an out-of-town merchant. A few years ago, his family suddenly suffered a calamity and was wiped out. With no one to inherit the residence, it was confiscated by the authorities. It hasn't been disposed of all these years, and no one has lived here.

A few years back, I asked around through some connections. You could buy this residence for just eighty taels of silver."

Song Changming looked around and was somewhat surprised by Lu Gang's words. "That cheap?"

The large central courtyard alone, piled high with fallen leaves, was probably close to a hundred square meters.

Besides the main hall, there were four rooms in the east and west wings, not to mention the storage room and the adjoining woodshed and kitchen.

Though the decorations, bricks, tiles, doors, and courtyard all looked somewhat old, this was still such a large residence, and it was located in the Houli Street district.

This was not a place ordinary commoners could afford to live in.

Under normal circumstances, even accounting for depreciation, such a large residence would cost at least a hundred taels of silver, if not more.

Lu Gang explained, "The location isn't particularly good, and the buildings are all fairly old. Without careful maintenance, they've become quite worn down.

For a residence like this, those who like it usually can't even afford the eighty taels, while those who can afford it usually don't think much of this place. Besides that, after the merchant's family was wiped out a few years ago, this place was rumored to be a haunted house for a while, and its reputation was terrible. Only in the last couple of years have people stopped talking about it. Over time, no one has shown any interest in it.

If you're concerned about such things too, then forget it."

"I see." Song Changming nodded. Everything Lu Gang had said was why no one had bought the place.

In fact, putting aside the rumors of it being haunted or having bad feng shui, this was indeed a spacious and good place to live. Buying it at such a low price was practically a steal.

No wonder Lu Gang had recommended it. Its value for money was absolutely the best.

"This place will do, Brother Lu." Song Changming did not waste words and directly settled on his new home.

Finding another large residence this cheap on Houli Street would be nearly impossible.

As for feng shui and haunted-house rumors, they were merely increasingly absurd gossip passed around among the people.

He had seen plenty of such rumors spread from person to person while working in the city, so he did not care about them.

Given enough time, the rumors would eventually fade. By then, people would only remember that this was the Song Family's home.

After buying the grand residence, Song Changming specifically treated Lu Gang to a meal to express his gratitude.

Afterward, he began making arrangements for the move.

He had already informed his parents beforehand.

Father Song and Mother Song were naturally overjoyed.

They had expected life at home to improve after Song Changming became a patrol guard.

But they had never expected their son to be so capable that he would move the Song Family out of Baiyi Street so soon, officially shedding the label of a destitute household.

Not only that, they would be living in a grand residence on Houli Street. It was truly an enormous leap.

Even if the residence had been cheap, eighty taels of silver was a tremendous sum their family had never possessed and had not even dared to imagine.

Father Song got up early the next morning. Upon learning that the new residence was old, he brought his tools over early to begin repairing it.

Song Changming had originally intended to hire several craftsmen to renovate the residence, but Father Song was too happy to be stopped. He said he had always repaired his own home himself, so Song Changming let him do as he wished.

A few days later, after their new home had been provisionally furnished, the family of three officially moved into Houli Street.

As for their old house, Song Changming sold it for only two strings of copper coins.

The price might have been higher on Houli Street, but on Baiyi Street, it was already good enough that a few shabby houses could be sold at all.

Before leaving, Father Song and Mother Song bid farewell to the neighbors they had lived alongside for many years and gave away some furniture and household items they no longer needed.

When people heard that the Song Family was moving to Houli Street, it naturally drew much envy.

Most of them could only barely scrape by on Baiyi Street. All they hoped for each day was to eat two better meals, and they did not dare wish for anything more.

Every year, there were occasionally families that suddenly prospered and moved from Baiyi Street to other districts.

In the past, none of them would have believed that the old Song Family, which had lost two sons and fallen ever deeper into poverty, would one day prosper as well.

But ever since the third son of the Song Family had found a powerful patron and Song Changming became a Night Watchman, the old Song Family had suddenly begun to improve.

Then, when Song Changming advanced further and became a patrol guard, the old Song Family finally turned things around completely. In just two years, they had reversed their fortunes, shedding their former decline and showing strong upward momentum.

The neighboring residents felt both envy and jealousy, along with some regret. Why had they not realized earlier that the old Song Family was different?

In the past, they had looked down on the old Song Family's youngest son and had never considered proposing a marriage, marrying off a daughter, or becoming in-laws with them.

Even when Mother Song had raised the matter herself, they had all politely declined.

Now that they brought it up again, Mother Song was the one politely refusing them, leaving them helpless.

"Hmph, aren't they just relying on the Zhao Family? What's there to be so proud of?" As they watched the old Song Family leave, someone in the crowd finally could not help muttering sourly.

The others exchanged glances but did not join in.

They all knew that even if the old Song Family had risen through the Zhao Family, who would not want such a chance to attach themselves to power?

Just as they themselves had wanted to curry favor with the old Song Family these past days—who would not want that?

Everyone wanted a better life. They simply had not had the opportunity.